What people complain about in Buildium
26 reported problems name Buildium as what the person is currently using. Below is what they said was missing, and what they resorted to instead.
- Complaints
- 26
- Avg severity
- 3.0/5
- Would pay to fix
- 1
- Industries
- 2
What they wish it did
Capabilities people described needing that Buildium does not give them, taken from the highest-scoring problems first. These are individual accounts written in each person’s own terms, so two entries may describe the same underlying gap in different words.
- Automatic PDF to structured data conversion for property management documents
- Email-to-spreadsheet data extraction for property managers
- Property management software with built-in screen reader compatibility and high-contrast visual design
- Integrated remote inspection guidance system with live video and annotation capabilities for visually impaired supervisors
- Automated reservation scheduling and waitlist management that replaces manual spreadsheet tracking
- Integrated turnover management workflow within Buildium
- Single-pane operations dashboard combining multiple data views
- A payment portal with frictionless 2FA that works across browsers and devices
- Automated late fee waivers for payment failures due to system issues
- Integrated electronic payment alternatives within the property management platform
- software with intelligent, nuanced tenant communication built natively into the platform replacing external email
- Automated call handling and ticket creation directly into property management software
- AI-powered virtual assistant that can answer tenant questions and log work orders without human intervention
- Automated deadline creation from lease terms and state regulations
- Integration with existing spreadsheets or property management systems
- Monitoring and alerts for regulatory changes
- Automated transaction matching and reconciliation workflows integrated with property management software
- Centralized dashboard for multi-account reconciliation status and issue tracking
- Guided discrepancy resolution with audit trails and collaboration features
- Integrated rent collection and maintenance tracking in one app
- Centralized tenant communication log
- Automated rent tracking and collection replacing manual spreadsheets
- Centralized document management for leases and records replacing shared Drive folder
- Integrated maintenance request and repair tracking
- Automated appliance lifecycle and warranty tracking system with predictive alerts
What they do instead
The manual processes people built around the gap. A long workaround list is the strongest evidence a problem is real: someone is already paying for it in time. Where several people described the same workaround, it is marked.
- re-type data from PDFs and emails into AppFolio/Yardi/Buildium
- re-type data from PDFs and emails into Excel
- Using 50" screen to remotely guide technicians during inspections
- Considering multiple software options to find accessible alternatives
- management company uses spreadsheets to manage reservations
- Uses spreadsheets and texts outside the platform to track turnover tasks
- Driving to pick up checks from tenants who couldn't pay online
- Forgiving late fees due to payment issues
- Taking payments electronically through other means (e.g., Zelle, PayPal)
- uses email outside PM platform for tenant communication because no platform gets it right
- Use AppFolio or Buildium to manually log and route maintenance requests
- Handle tenant calls, applications, rent reminders, and lease renewals in-house without specialized help
- Looks up deadlines on state websites or buried in leases
- Manually keys deadlines into spreadsheet or software
- Relies on remembering to create deadline reminders
- Use spreadsheets to manually track and match transactions
- Rely on a bookkeeper to reconcile accounts outside the software
- Generate reports from software to cross-check with bank statements
- uses spreadsheets to track rent and maintenance
- uses scattered messages for tenant communication
Industries
The problems themselves
Highest opportunity score first.
Property managers using AppFolio/Yardi/Buildium still manually re-type data from PDFs and emails into their systems or spreadsheets, wasting time and introducing errors.
3MediumProperty ManagementDocument ManagementDocumentPipe for Property ManagersA blind property manager needs accessible property management software with screen reader compatibility, affordable API access, and remote inspection guidance capabilities.
4HighProperty ManagementProperty ManagementAccessiView Property ManagerFractional vacation property owners struggle with fair scheduling and communication because existing HOA software is overkill and expensive.
4HighReal EstateScheduling & BookingFairShare ReservationsNo unified operations dashboard or turnover management workflow in Buildium for property management.
3MediumProperty ManagementOperations ManagementTurnFlow OpsTenants are unable to complete two-factor authentication when paying rent through Buildium, causing late payments and manual workarounds.
3MediumProperty ManagementPayment ProcessingRentPay SecureProperty managers with mixed portfolios find that no single platform handles nuanced tenant communication, custom reporting, or complex operations without workarounds.
4HighProperty ManagementProperty ManagementTenantTact PMA commercial property owner needs a comprehensive software platform to manage rent rolls, track work orders, and streamline operations across multiple properties with 30+ tenants.
3MediumProperty ManagementProperty ManagementCommercialPropFlowSmall property managers are stuck with expensive per-unit pricing from incumbents like Buildium/AppFolio and switching costs prevent them from moving to a more affordable flat-rate platform.
3MediumProperty ManagementProperty ManagementHatchkeepProperty managers struggle to handle high volumes of tenant calls, maintenance requests, and administrative tasks in property management software, leading to missed calls and slow response times.
3MediumProperty ManagementClient Communication & ExperiencePropManage VASmall self-managing landlords lack automatic tracking of statutory deadlines like deposit returns and notice periods, forcing manual entry and increasing risk of missed legal obligations.
3MediumProperty ManagementCompliance ManagementDeadlineWatch PMProperty managers struggle to produce monthly owner financial statements efficiently, often resorting to manual exporting and reformatting.
3MediumProperty ManagementFinancial ManagementOwnerStatement ProA commercial property manager is dissatisfied with existing property management software (Yardi Breeze Premier, Buildium) and is seeking newer, more modern, AI-capable alternatives.
3MediumProperty ManagementSoftware SelectionPropMind AIDifficulty migrating mass PDF files from Buildium to Appfolio for 300 properties due to insufficient export support from Buildium.
3MediumProperty ManagementData ManagementPropMigrate ProProperty managers using Buildium or AppFolio struggle with bank reconciliation when managing multiple accounts, often encountering discrepancies that are difficult to track down and time-consuming to fix.
3MediumProperty ManagementReconciliation & Cleanup WorkflowReconFix for Property ManagersLandlord with under 10 units struggles to manage rent collection and maintenance tracking using scattered spreadsheets and messages, and finds existing property management software too feature-heavy.
3MediumProperty ManagementProperty ManagementRentEaseFirst-time landlord needs a property management app that scales, replacing current manual spreadsheets and shared drive for managing rental units.
3MediumProperty ManagementOperations ManagementRentHive ProProperty managers lose money on emergency repairs and tenant complaints because they lack a proactive system to track appliance ages, warranties, and maintenance schedules.
3MediumProperty ManagementAsset ManagementApplianceWatch ProManaging leasing leads for 100+ properties was overwhelming with Excel, and existing PMS solutions are either too expensive or inadequate.
3MediumProperty ManagementLead ManagementLeaseLead FlowProperty managers struggle to efficiently import rent rolls and lease data into property management software (Appfolio, Yardi, Buildium) when acquiring new properties.
3MediumProperty ManagementData ManagementRentRoll Importer ProGrowing rental property owner needs platform that supports multiple portfolios with separate accounting and tax documents.
3MediumProperty ManagementProperty ManagementMultiPortfolio Pro
Read this fairly
These are complaints, and only complaints — nobody posts to say their software worked. A high count mostly reflects how many people use Buildium at all, so this page is not a quality judgement and should not be read as one. What it is good for is the shape of the gaps: the specific jobs people could not get done, which are the same whether the tool is popular or not.